The Multiple Hats Worn by Consultants

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Consultants often get called in to perform multiple tasks. With the current profile of coaching in the market, client may be led to believe that consultants can't coach because they "think" differently. Consultants are in fact trained to change roles on a regular basis and a key attribute of a successful consultant is flexibility

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The Multiple Hats Worn by Consultants

Загружено:

Описание:

Consultants often get called in to perform multiple tasks. With the current profile of coaching in the market, client may be led to believe that consultants can't coach because they "think" differently. Consultants are in fact trained to change roles on a regular basis and a key attribute of a successful consultant is flexibility

The multiple hats worn by

consultantsIt is clear that coaching has taken the world by storm. But what are the expectations? Purists believe that coachesneed to ask good questions and the coachee will find the answers themselves.Then there is the question about life coaches versus executive or business coaches. In my experience, with theexception of pure performance coaching, I have yet to conduct an executive coaching intervention withoutconsidering the individuals entire life. I like to use the wheel of life as a simple tool to get the individual thinkingand to give them perspective regarding how balanced their life actually is.What I have found in my multiple interventions with executives and senior management is that they are looking foran experienced, multi-dimensional individual to engage with.So on to my core topic. I have observed many coaching students grapple with the purist view and I have also drawnfrom my own experience to come to the conclusion that professional consultants, who also coach clients, have towear multiple hats. Allow me to elaborate; I will describe the various roles that a consultant will wear duringmultiple client engagements. It is also more likely that a consultant will coach as well, rather than a coach consultingto client, because the latter may not have the required business competencies.I need to emphasise that it is critical that the professional is at all times aware of the specific role they areperforming. So on to the roles, and I will provide simple definitions for the sake of this article and I am fully awarethat some purists will challenge them:Consulting is about providing professional advice to businesses and the leaders and managers therein.Coaching - Executive Coaching is the process of working with managers and executives to facilitate self-awarenessconcerning them in their work and / or personal life and to lead them to the development of solutions to theirchallenges.Mentoring - Providing expert advice and guidance, taking members of a team under ones wing and providing a rolemodel for the team. In many cases it is also about providing direction for ones career.Leader - Articulating a clear vision and creating the environment in which people motivate themselves to reach thatvision jointly.Facilitator An individual who interacts with a team or trainees to achieve two way communication and teamoutcomes.Technical Expert An individual who has superior technical competencies in a particular field. This expertise maybe split into functional and or sectorial expertise.Trainer an individual who conducts training needs analyses, designs curricula and training content and deliverstraining to delegates in a formal or hands on environment.Contractor a contractor is a person hired to perform a task or set of tasks for a defined period of time.Interim Executive as the name implies, an interim executive is someone who is engaged to perform an executiverole in an organisation because a permanent incumbent cannot be found, the organisation is in a state of flux or theprocess of hiring is in process.Project Manager An individual responsible for managing a defined project (or projects) on behalf of anorganisation.Counsellor A person trained to give advice on personal or psychological problems; neither consultants norcoaches should be practicing in this area, unless they have the appropriate qualifications and registrations.Sounding Board or trusted advisor a variation of generic management consulting that operates as a regularadvisor at the request of (typically) a senior executive where there is a strong trust relationship.Devils advocate A professional who is engaged simply to find potential flaws in a process, strategy or plan.

Advocate An individual brought in to support a point of view or a proposed decision.

Problem Solver A person brought in to solve specific problems that the executive or organisation cannot solve ontheir own.Mediator A mediator is engaged to resolve disputes in a constructive manner, avoiding costly litigation.Change Agent A specific subset of consulting skills utilised to bring about rapid and or lasting change. AllManagement Consultants are required to be agents of change.The institute of management consultants and master coaches accredits experienced business professionals in theconsulting and coaching professions. Less experienced individuals are offered a growth path to the prestigiouscertifications. We are firmly of the belief that experience counts when dealing with senior management.Angelo Kehayas 6 November 2014